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Thursday, August 30, 2012

Hazzard Nation speaks from the heart and Warner Bros listens

Hey Y’all,

Today something extraordinary happened. Warner Bros. listened to the fans of “The Dukes of Hazzard”. And we should thank them for that.

There were reliable and verifiable reports from WB car licensees with whom we do business that as of January 1, 2013, the Confederate Banner on top of the General Lee would be removed because some people “found it offensive.” Hazzard Nation found the very idea of such political correctness invading Hazzard County to be so narrow-minded and insulting that we took to the internet, to the press, and to WB Licensing to let them know how we felt.

Two days ago, this was a done deal. Yesterday, a WB spokesman talking to NBC/Today.com said that this was a “maybe we will”, “maybe we won’t” situation. This afternoon, The Associated Press reported that WB is now saying that all these reports are “inaccurate” and that there are no plans to remove the flag.

In a poll on today.com this afternoon, over 12,000 people had voted for the flag to stay, and less than one/tenth that many voted to remove it. That, plus the positive support we directed by e-mail to WB licensing obviously changed some minds.

This is not only a victory for those who love the show, but a victory for the voice of the people, and in my opinion, a victory for mutual respect among people of different ethnicities and backgrounds. We should now be gracious and thank the folks at Warner Bros. for changing this misguided policy. Perhaps they will listen to the fans when they produce “Dukes, The Next Generation”! Wouldn’t that be great?